Chapter III: Thunder and Lightning Part 1

Chicago, IL.

By the magic of Stormbreaker, Delta-Ray Donna was able to disguise herself as an average human. Her enchanted ax had taken the form of a wristwatch strapped to her left wrist, ready to transform her into Thunder Woman at the push of a button. Walking beside her, Jihnorama of Braal used her telepathic powers to create a field of thought waves that affected those around her. To anyone within twenty feet of her, she looked like a normal human woman. Currently, the two Avengers were on a quest to a local archeology museum.

Just as the duo was halfway to their destination, Donna received a phone call from Dr. Richards, himself. She scarfed down what was left of her hot dog before answering. "Yes, Dr. Richards?"

["Hello, Ms. Delta-Ray."] The scientist called. ["I'm just checking to make sure that - wait, hold on. I don't care if I called five minutes ago, Arani! I want to be updated! Sorry, Ms. Delta-Ray. Do you have the alloy yet?"]

"No, Dr. Richards." Donna sighed. "But fear not, Jihnorama and I are nearly at the museum."

["Listen to me, Donna. I need that metal."] Ralph explained. ["It is the only material that can shield my team from the N-Zone's atmosphere. It is imperative that we get that metal."]

"And you shall." Donna promised. "But Jihnorama and I cannot focus on our mission with your constant interruptions. You must trust us."

Ralph sighed, heavily. ["Very well. I will patiently await for you to return. Goodbye, Ms. Delta-Ray."]

Donna hung up her phone before stopping in front of a convenient store. "Hazah! This store sells pretzels!" She cheered before rushing inside.

"But you just had a hot dog." Jihnorama groaned as she followed her friend. "And before that, you ate an entire bag of marshmallows. Not even Bartholomew eats as much as you do, and he has a hyper-accelerated metabolism."

"Well it's no fault of mine that my species has four stomachs." Donna reasoned as they waited in line. "Conversely, I have rarely seen you eat anything ever since I met you. Do you not feel hungry?"

Jihnorama looked down the aisles of food with a blank expression. "My physiology was drastically altered by the experiments that gave me my psychic powers." She explained. "I don't require as many meals as other species, anymore."

"But you can eat if you desire?" The Corbinite grabbed a small box from one of the shelves just before asking for her pretzel. After she had paid, the duo went back out onto the street, where Donna presented her roommate with the box. "Here! Try this. These are cookies. I give you my word that you will enjoy them."

Jihnorama hesitantly accepted the box from her friend and gently shook one cookie into her palm. She lifted it up to her nose and sniffed at it, curiously. At last, she bit the cookie in half and slowly chewed it. Her eyes lit up with bewilderment at the stimulation of her taste buds. "Cookies… are wonderful!" She cheered before eating another.

At last, the two Avengers arrived at the museum where they were greeted by a middle-aged woman with blonde hair. "Hello, my name is Donna Olsen." In order to better blend in, the new Thunder Woman had followed her mentor's example and took on an earthly name. "We are here for Dr. Richards' metal alloy."

"Ah, yes, welcome!" The archeologist smiled, pushing up her glasses. "My name is Dr. Helena Masterson. We're very thankful that Dr. Lord and Dr. Richards offered us such a generous grant in exchange for this alloy. Even though it's only fifty pounds."

"Well, this alloy is quite valuable to Dr. Richards." Donna smiled as the archeologist led her towards the museum's storage room. Jihnorama, on the other hand, had just finished her box of cookies when she realized she had fallen behind. Luckily, she found her way into the storage room on her own, only to be distracted by a stone slab leaning against the wall, half-covered by a satin sheet. Against her better judgement, the curious Braalite pulled off the sheet and began reading the hieroglyphics.

Meanwhile, Donna helped Dr. Masterson load the crates of the alloy onto a two-wheel dolly just as they heard a loud clatter coming from behind one of the shelves. "What was that?!" Donna gasped, preparing to transform.

"Take that you vile villain!" A childish voice giggled. "You are no match for the mighty Thunder Woman!"

"I should've known." Helena grumbled to herself, marching towards the source of the disturbance. Donna followed the aggravated scientist around the corner to see a pre-teenage girl with a medieval helmet stuck over her head and a claw hammer held tightly in her hand as she hit the rest of the medieval armor. "Cassandra Elizabeth Masterson!" Helena scolded.

"Eep!" The girl froze in terror at the shrill voice. Turning around, she lifted the faceplate of the knight's helmut to reveal her sheepish grin. "Sorry, mom. I was just playing."

"And what did we say about playing with the museum's property?" Helena sighed. "You're lucky we're getting rid of that old thing! Ms. Olsen I am so sorry about this, but I couldn't find a sitter on short notice. Cassie, where's Terry? He's supposed to be watching you."

Just then, a man with curly red hair and a beard came running around the corner and accidentally bumped into Donna. "Oh, god! Sorry miss! Dr. Masterson, I'm so sorry." He apologized, wearily. "I tried to stop her, but she just took off and shouted 'forget the police.' Then she tilted every painting in the art gallery."

"Ugh, walking down that hallway is going to give me such a headache, now." Helena groaned before looking up again. "Wait, didn't you have a friend with you, Ms. Olsen?"

"Hm?" Donna scanned the area, but couldn't spot Jihnorama. "She must have gotten lost."

"Oh, wonderful." Helena sighed. "Terry, you stay here and watch my daughter while I look for Ms…" The archeologist checked her clipboard. "Jihnorama Jones? What kind of name is 'Jihnorama?'"

"Um… Canadian?" Donna smiled, meekly.

Helena went off to look for her other guest while Donna stayed with Cassie and Terry. She found Jihnorama muttering to herself as she brushed her fingers along the stone. "Ah! Ms. Jones! No touching the artifacts, please!"

"Apologies. I am merely reading, doctor." Jihnorama replied, respectfully. "The story is quite interesting."

"You can read this?" Helena asked, sounding impressed.

"You mean you can't?"

"No one can." The archeologist explained. "We originally thought it was ancient Egyptian, but it seems to be something older. How can you understand it?"

"Its language appears to be a slight alteration of my own." The telepath's concentration broke for a moment, giving Helena a glimpse of her true form. While startled at first, the archeologist brushed it aside, eager to learn the translation.

"Well, if you wouldn't mind, what does it say?"

"These glyphs appear to be telling the story of a fallen warrior." Jihnorama explained. "A man from another world who was chosen as a worthy champion of magic, but was corrupted by the sins of humanity. As such, he was banished from this plane of existence."

"Fascinating…" Helena breathed in astonishment.

"One word, however, doesn't seem to have a clear translation in your language." The Braalite rubbed her chin in thought. "The closest I can come up with is… 'Sh'zam.'"

The women had been so caught up in reading the glyphs, they failed to notice the small, blue spark flicker from the top left corner of the slab.

Meanwhile, In Fawcett City…

Billy Lawson had just returned from school with the rest of his foster siblings when he felt a small jolt on both of his wrists. The teenage titan dropped his backpack to the ground as his pupils dilated. Freddy and Mary were startled by their brother's frozen expression.

"Billy? Are you okay?" Mary asked, snapping her fingers in front of his face. "Have you ever seen anything like this, Freddy?"

"Not me." Freddy hobbled on his crutches as he made his way over to Billy's side. "Maybe it has something to do with Captain Thunder."

Billy opened his eyes to find himself inside some sort of mystic cave. He had been transformed into his heroic alter-ego - despite not having shouted his magic word - and now stood before the alien wizard who had gifted him with his powers in the first place. "Greetings, Billy Lawson." Sh'zam stood up from his throne to approach his champion. "I apologize for the sudden abduction, but we currently face a dire situation."

"What do you mean, Mr. Wizard?"

"A great evil has been inadvertently summoned to your world, young Billy." Sh'zam explained. "One which I am ashamed to admit I had a part in creating. You will recall that when we first met, I told you that you were not the first champion of magic I had selected to share my powers with."

"Yeah, I remember." Billy nodded as he thought back to that fateful day. "You said that you chose someone from a different planet five thousand years ago."

"Indeed. Teth-Arkon was his name." Sh'zam frowned, solemnly. "When I first met him, he reminded me much of yourself. But not long after I gifted him with his powers, he turned against me. Drunk on power, he sought to conquer the universe, had I not banished him to another dimension. Unfortunately, five thousand years has withered my body. I am unable to face him again. That is the true purpose for which I selected you, Billy Lawson, as my new champion of magic. You must stop Teth-Arkon before he can destroy your world."

"I'll… I'll do my best, Mr. Wizard." Billy promised. "But if this Teth-Arkon has all the powers of Captain Thunder, won't our fight be a stalemate?"

"Fear not, young Billy." The Wizard smiled, comfortingly. "For I can see that you will be assisted by someone who will tip the scale in your favor. A being who commands a different lightning, but just as powerful."

Billy blinked as he reappeared in his foster family's apartment complex. Mary and Freddy sighed in relief as their brother regained his mobility. "Tell uncle Dudley I'm gonna be late for dinner." Billy requested. "Possibly breakfast, too."

"Where are you going?" Mary asked, following her brother up the stairs to the roof.

"I just got a warning from the Wizard." Billy explained as he shrugged off his jacket. "Chicago is about to come under attack. Looks like that new Justice Legion is about to get a surprise visit from Captain Thunder!" Once he reached the roof, Billy jumped into the air with his wristbands held together over his head. "SH'ZAM!"

A bolt of lightning crashed down from the sky, striking the bracelets and transforming Billy Lawson into the world's mightiest mortal. Captain Thunder flew up into the sky before a sonic boom propelled him towards the Midwest.

Back in Chicago…

Donna was absolutely enjoying herself as she played with Cassie. The preteen explained that she had been reenacting a battle between Thunder Woman and Absorba she had seen on TV. The girl carried a sketchbook around with her, full of drawings she had made of the thunder goddess, and showed each and every page to her new friend. "And this is Thunder Girl!" She beamed, pointing to a drawing of an orange-skinned woman.

"Thunder Girl?" Donna asked, pleasantly curious.

"Yeah!" Cassie nodded. "That orange alien lady that works for Thunder Woman! I've seen them working together on the news! Someday, I wanna be Thunder Woman's sidekick and help her fight monsters and bad guys!"

"Oh, really? Can I tell you a secret?" Donna leaned down to whisper in the girl's ear. "I've met Thunder Woman in person."

Cassie gasped, cupping her hands over her mouth. "Really?!" She exclaimed, excitedly. "That is so cool! What's she like?! Is she as nice as she is on TV?!"

"Oh, she is much nicer than that." Donna chuckled. "She's the one who made me want to be a better person. And she has guided me towards a life of purpose and meaning. I owe her much, and I have been trying to repay her ever since."

"That is awesome!" Cassie squealed, excitedly. "I gotta go tell my mom about this!"

Donna smiled as her new friend ran off to find her mother. "She is a very unique child, Mr. Austin."

"Ah, she's a little troublesome, but she's still a good kid." The man nodded. "And you can just call me Terry. So, if you don't mind my asking, how did you manage to end up working for Dr. Ralph Richards?"

"Oh, um…" Donna ran a hand through her hair as she thought. She had been so caught up in moving to Chicago and her duties as Thunder Woman that she had forgotten to create a proper cover story for her secret identity. Realizing that he would be getting impatient, she thought of one of the classes she took on Corbin before joining Diana. "I am an engineer for Purple Labs."

"Oh." Terry nodded. "Well, you certainly picked the right place to set up shop. I hear Dr. Lord pays all of his workers very good wages."

"And you?" Donna asked. "Are you one of the archeologists here, as well?"

"Me? No. I'm just the janitor until I finish college." Terry admitted, bashfully. "I'm studying astronomy at DePaul with a minor in Norse mythology. Dr. Masterson actually helped me out a lot with getting into that school. So in return I take care of Cassie for her whenever she's busy."

"That's very generous of you." Donna smiled. "And Cassie seems to like you very much, as well."

"Ah, she's crazy about me. I gave her all my old Thunder Woman comics when I first babysat her, and she's stuck to me like glue ever since." Terry laughed before falling silent.

"Is… is something wrong?"

"No, no, nothing's wrong." Terry sighed. "It's just - well, begging your pardon, but… I've never met an engineer who was as beautiful as you."

Donna felt her heart rate skyrocket as her eyes went wide. She let out a few nervous chuckles just before Cassie came back, dragging her mother and Jihnorama with her. "She said she knows Thunder Woman, mom!" Cassie cheered. "Isn't that cool?!"

"Mm-hm. Yes, yes, that's very nice, dear." Helena sighed, tiredly. "Well, Ms. Olsen and Ms. Jones, it has a pleasure meeting you both, but I really must get back to work. And do tell Dr. Lord, again, how grateful we are for the grant he donated in exchange for the alloy."

"We shall, indeed, Dr. Masterson." Jihnorama bowed before turning to her friend. But the Corbinite was still talking to the red-haired man as if she hadn't noticed them.

"Um, Mr. Austin… Terry…" Donna twiddled a strand of hair in her fingers to hide her blush. "I was wondering if… if you would like to… to, um…"

"Get a cup of coffee?" He finished, equally flustered.

"Yes! Perhaps we can meet… um…"

"Tomorrow morning at Logan's cafe?" He suggested. "I head over there every morning before work at eight o' clock. Sound good?"

"Y-yes!" Donna stammered. "I would love to join you for coffee! I love coffee! I drink coffee all the time!"

"Great. Then I'll see you there." Terry smiled and winked at the Corbinite as he left.

Once he was gone, Donna felt as if she would melt into a puddle. She pushed the dolly carrying the metal alloy out of the building as she and Jihnorama made their way back to Purple Labs, wearing a longing smile on her face as she went.

"Dr. Richards appears to be keeping some interesting company these days." Helena remarked, thinking about what she had seen with Jihnorama.

"Oh, yes, doctor." Terry sighed, wistfully. "Very interesting."

One hour later, the two alien Avengers delivered the alloy to Dr. Richards, who hurriedly began studying it and preparing to fuse it to their shuttle's hull. By that time, it was six o' clock, and the Braalite had to drag her roommate into the cafeteria for dinner time. Donna took her seat at the end of the table, resting her chin on her palms as she thought of her upcoming date.

"Hey, Donna." Bart greeted as he and the others joined them. "You okay?"

"Oh, I'm wonderful~" She replied, never once losing her smile.

Just then, Ben Steele - Dr. Richards' pilot and childhood friend - approached the group as he tied an apron around his waist. "So, what can the Ever-Lovin'-Blue-Eyed Ben Steele fix up for you kids, tonight?"

"Nothing for me, thank you." Donna replied, dreamily.

"HUH?!" The others were shocked beyond belief.

"Uh, Donna? Are you feeling well?" Bart placed a hand on the Corbinite's forehead. "Are you sick? Can Corbinites get sick?"

"She can't be sick." Karen declared as her eyes glowed white. "My hyper senses are telling me that her digestive system, nervous system, and internal organs are all completely normal."

"Oh, my god!" Ronnie gasped. "Maybe she's under the influence of an evil telepath! And he's taken over her mind to infiltrate our base!"

"Perhaps she is." Jihnorama rubbed her chin, considering the option. "She has been behaving like this ever since we left the museum."

"Why? What happened at the museum?" Tim asked.

"Well, she and I went to the museum to collect the alloy for Dr. Richards, we spoke with a few of the scientists who worked there, and then we left." The Braalite Bruiser shrugged. "In all honesty, she seemed just fine until after we spoke with Mr. Terry Austin."

"Terry~" Donna sighed, wistfully. "He's wonderful…"

"Ohhhhh…" Karen giggled, suddenly understanding the problem. "Yeah, she's sick, alright! She's love sick!"

"Aw, that's cute." Ronnie remarked. "Are you gonna see him again?"

"Yes, in fact; he invited me for coffee tomorrow-" Donna's eyes suddenly widened in shock. "Tomorrow! I need something to wear! I need to be ready!" With that, the thunder goddess dashed off to her room to select the perfect outfit.

While her other friends just stared in disbelief, Jihnorama turned back to Ben Steele. "I would like a fresh batch of cookies, please."

At that moment, on the shoreline of Lake Michigan, a local fisherman had just finished tying his boat to the dock when he noticed the water beginning to boil. As he inspected it, more closely, he gasped at the sight of a cloudy vortex forming from the rising steam. At last, a bolt of lightning burst forth from the vortex, and a muscular humanoid man with pointed ears, tattered clothes, and a quiver full of lightning bots stumbled out. The fisherman reached out to help this new arrival, but was greeted by a strong hand gripping his throat and lifting him into the air.

"What dimension is this?" The mysterious man growled.

"D-dimension?" The fisherman trembled. "I-I don't understand."

"If I tear out your heart… will you die?"

"Yes!"

The magic user grinned in satisfaction. "The mortal realm." He laughed, tossing his victim high into the air. He then reached into the quiver strapped to his back, pulled out a lightning bolt, and blew the helpless human to smithereens in mid-air. "At last, after five thousand years… I have returned."

The mystic villain hovered into the air, calling upon a fierce lightning storm. A stray bolt of magic lightning crashed down from the heavens, striking the golden bands strapped to his wrists. As he absorbed the electricity into his skin, his tattered clothing began to reform. "Yes… yes!" He cackled. "With the strength, speed, courage, wisdom, and power of the gods, I am reborn!"

The villain turned his attention to the city streets beneath him. "Hmm, this world has changed, but I can sense it; the Wizard is dead! And yet…" The band on his left wrist twinkled, relaying a secret message to him. "So, he did replace me. No matter. I shall find this new champion and take his power for my own! And then, Black Arkon will be the most powerful being in this universe!"

To Be Continued!

Helena Masterson - Helena Sandsmark/Eric Masterson

Cassie Masterson - Cassie Sandsmark/Kevin Masterson

Terry Austin - Terry Long/Susan Austin

Billy Lawson - Billy Batson/ Walter Lawson

Freddy Jones - Freddy Freeman/Rick Jones

Mary Elysius - Mary Marvel/Elysius

Captain Thunder - Captain Marvel/Captain Mar-Vell(seriously, Marvel?)

Black Arkon - Black Adam/Arkon